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Santa Maria police officer kills another officer

January 28, 2012

Santa Maria police shot and killed a fellow officer early today while attempting to serve a warrant on the man for alleged sexual misconduct against a minor. [KCOY]

Department officials are not releasing the identity of the dead officer until they have had an opportunity to inform his family.

Department officials said they had been conducting an internal investigation into the suspect officer’s actions. At about 1 a.m., officers tried to arrest the suspect officer while on duty at the corner of McElhaney Avenue and Broadway.

As police tried to make an arrest, the suspect officer drew his weapon and fired. An officer fired back striking him once. He died at Marian Medical Center.

An investigation into the incident will be conducted by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.


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What does Santa Maria PD and Paso PD have in common? Macagni was Solomon’s mentor.


I’m still wondering why the “shooting” officer was working at SMPD. He failed the oral board, but Macagni hired him as a reserve, therefore, backdoored the system. Normally you have to wait a year to re-apply. Surprise, after a short time, Macagni moves him to a regular officer (no oral board ot testing required).


Macagni’s tricks never end.


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I agree with Bob, there should have been plenty of opportunity to arrest the guy in the station house. Don’t these guys have a roll call meeting/briefing before their shifts start?

Why wasn’t he arrested at that time?

Perhaps the arrest warrant didn’t come back until after he left out on patrol? If so, then why not wait until he comes back in?

Or wait until he’s in the showers in the locker room after his shift. Remove his gun at that time and the arrest him.

I think the SMPD chief has some explaining to do. I just hope the reporters who cover this ask these questions.I’d say the people of Santa Maria are due an explanation.


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I mean, why would a cop draw his weapon when surrounded by other cops unless he feared for his life for some reason?


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Because he wanted to die.


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Wow some of these comments are real dribble!!


As a LEO from the central valley, long time property owner in the central coast, I have been following the blogs since the press release. In my over 35 years experience, let make the following opinion based on gut instinct. Citizens investigating a officer involved shooting, what a joke. Talk about unable get out of a wet paper bag. If there is so much distrust, then use the available source which would be a grand jury investigation.


Much comment about the circumstances of the decision to arrest. Well it appears that it would have been much more prudent than at the check point but hindsight is always 20-20. It appears to me that this case revolves around not only the unlawful sexual matter with a minor but gut instinct the use of cell phone in messaging and transmission of images. If any of the images are of the privates of ones self sent to a minor, thats child pornography folks. Thats why I believe this whole thing was notched up to cause the officer to be very desperate. I cannot believe the puke put forth by some and politicans today that we can solve theses unfortunate incidents by changing the laws to some how water down the circumstances and avoid this end result!!


With over five years investigating sex crimes, todays society sends these self made pict’s to each other all the time. Sent to a minor is big stuff, as a cop you would get the big state time or even fed time which I believe is up to ten years. So he knew very well the big time trouble he was in!!


As far as the truthfulness issues for law enforcement today, I sadly agree that we have been our own worst enemy. Its been to the point for about the last eight or ten years that I use a digital recorder nearly in all interviews or events of major signifience. It take a great deal of discipline and maturity not possesed by most leo’s to do this but in the end its play the tape and let your own words explain each incident.


In conclusion, I believe that there may of been some contact, texting or email that this officer was about to respond to the victim’s residence or some other location to do something, runaway or threats. Pretty big event that would cause two supervisors to respond to a street corner to arrest the officer.


For all those conspiracy wacko’s, I believe with numerous officers present and the shooter officer one of the co workers of the deceased along with the physical evidence that is always at a OIS shooting scene and hopefully an audio recording of the incident, the truth will be so plainfully event to all who is interested.


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Boy, with all the news about the police in the headlines lately, one has to wonder if they are not being paid for our reading enjoyment.


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standup,


Even though you’re on topic, your statement is rather tacky to say the least. :(


If you can gain “”enjoyment” by another man’s death, and the hardship and ramifications that the officer that killed him will have for the rest of his life, then subjectively, your psyche is in need of repair.


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Why does anyone read the news? I read the news for enjoyment. I guess you could say that i read the news to become informed of events good and bad. Do I enjoy this particular event? Hell no. I think the situation could have been handled in a different manner. That is why I enjoy these blogs. If someone doesn’t read the news for enjoyment and it continually pisses them off, why do they continue to read? “Let’s see, I need to totally stress myself out today so I think I will read the news.” Huh?


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First off, experience tells us that we should never automatically believe anything in an official police report. It’s a sad but true fact that modern police culture finds it acceptable to lie in reports in order to protect the interests of officers. It happens all the time. Much more than most people realize. It’s almost standard operating procedure to write reports in ways that strengthen ones case in a court of law, no matter if it involves making blatant false statements.


This has become a deeply ingrained part of police culture and this lack of integrity spreads and infects nearly every aspect of police work. This is something that the public should no longer stand for.


So, I’m not saying that I know of any lies in the reporting on this case, but I am saying that we should not automatically assume we are getting the pertinent facts.


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You make an interesting point. Remember the shootout with a drug suspect a few months ago in Santa Maria? Two cops shooting at the suspect, don’t hit the suspect but manage to somehow shoot each other. Nothing more said about that and now this? Hmmmmm


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“Two cops shooting at the suspect, don’t hit the suspect …. ” Um, no. The suspect was killed in that shootout; yes the officers did apparently wound each other, but the suspect was not missed, he was in fact, killed. Other than that, you make a pretty good observation.


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Sorry. Yea I couldn’t remember if killed or not.


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Nothing more said about that?? What a joke!!


Its called CROSS FIRE!! If you have never been in this position you cannot even begin to understand when a big time event with someone armed with a gun and how things are in a somewhat managed incident of being out of control!!


Cant even imagine someone would think they could understand unless they have experienced it!!


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Umm DUH. Yes I understand (like most people) crossfire. My point was that it was never mentioned one way or the other in a follow up on where the firing officers position was. Yes you can say crossfire but do you know in this instance that the cops where lined up across from each other? Can you tell me where you read one way or the other, because I must have missed it.


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Indeed.


That is why the “incident” stories we are fed, over time, sometimes change dramatically and, unfortunately, often conflict with each other.


It often seems that the PD launches one self-serving, cover story, then waits to see if the populace notices any inconsistencies, or starts figuring out what really happened. Then the PD launches “refinements” of the original story to deal with what the public can figure out on its own.


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Another sad day for the idea of law enforcement setting the moral compass for the rest of us.


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I remember meeting one of SM s female officers at the Rangemaster, asking about the department as my wife was considering POST. The officer commented their officers required mental strength beyond what most people have.


I respect authority, but our police culture has alienated even the honest citicens with their attitudes and hypocrisies


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